Reforming last



1934- J. FITZPATRICK 1,969,733

REFORMING LAST Filed Oct. 19, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flg- 5- 5 TIQFB- I lI II,

. INVEN+E1RZ 3151- JEREMIAH FITZPATR 13 ALM- a.a;

Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to reforming old lasts to produce lastsconforming to new specifications.

' In order to reform old lasts to conform to a 5 new 'or model last itis necessary that the old last be mounted in the last turning machine onthe same axis as the model last, and it is desirable also that'this axisbe, in so far as possible, the original axis around which the old lastswere formed. The accurate location of the new axis upon which the oldlasts are to be reformed has heretofore been difficult to accom plishinasmuch as it has been dependent upon measurements taken from theexterior of the lasts. Such measurements have not been dependablebecause lasts do not maintain the shapes originally given them due toswelling or shrinking caused by changes in temperature and moistureusage.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these difliicultiesand provide a commercially practical method of locating the axes oflasts.

Another object of the invention is .the provision of an improved methodiof reforming lasts;

A further obj'e'ct of the invention is the provision of suitableapparatus for accurately locating the axis upon which a. last may bereformed.

The invention will be more clearl; understood from the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l-is a front elevation partly in section of a machine forperforming one step in the process of locating the axis of a last to bereformed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 1 showing ,the parts in adifferent position;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a machine for performing the second stepin the process of locating the axis of the last to be reformed;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a machine for performing the third stepin-the' process of locating the axis of the last to be reformed; and

Fig. 8 is a. section taken on the line8-8 of Fi 7;

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments andconditions and due, also, to deformities caused by" vice and for thispurpose is provided with up- Fig. 1. This machine comprises a frame 10having a suitable way 11 in which a carriage 12 is slidably mounted. Therear end of the carriage 12 is provided with an upright 13 having a slot14 through which a wedge block 15 may be inserted upon the bed of thecarriage. ,The upper 7 end of the upright 13' is provided with anenlargement having a V-shaped recess 16 in its front surfaceadapted toreceive the heel part of a last. A plate 17 is suitably secured upon thetop of the upright 13 by screws 19 and projects beyond the front edge ofthe V-block 16 and is provided at its front end with a cut away portionA front upright 20 is slidably mounted in a suitable way 21 in the bedof the carriage 12. The upright 20 is provided at its upper end with anenlargement having a V-shaped recess 23 in its rear face adapted toreceive the toe portion of a last. The upright 20 is also provided nearits lower end with a rearwardly extending projection 25 having anopening 26 to receive an adjustable support in the form of a screw 27having a knurled head 28. A nut 29 is threaded upon the lower end of thescrew 27 and is slidably mounted in a suitable way 30 in the projection25. The support 27 is urged upwardly by a spring 31 surrounding thescrew and extending between the knurled head 28 and the top of theenlargement 25. The position of the upright 20 is adjusted upon thecarriage 12 by ashaft 33 having threaded engagement with a lug 34extending upwardly from the carriage12. The shaft 33 is rotatablymounted in a suitable bearing in the upright 20 and is providedfwithcollars 35 and 36 engaging the front and rear faces of the upright 20 toprevent axial movement of the shaft 33 relative to the upright. Theshaft 33 is rotated by a handle 33'.

The carriage 12 also carries a last grading derights 37 extending fromopposite sides of the carriage intermediate the ends thereof. One of theuprights 37 is provided with a hole 37' (Fig. 3)

for movably guiding a prick punch 38 so that it may be moved intoengagement with the side of a 1.10

between the uprights 37 and is provided with depending portions 40 ateach end thereof and adjacent the outer faces of the uprights 37. The

lower ends of the depending portions 40 each are provided with aninwardly extending tongue 41 (Fig. 3) adapted to engage inclinedguideways 42 in the outer faces of the uprights 37. The

\ cross member 39 is provided with an opening to receive a bushing 43through which projects a chine.

drill 44 which is mounted on the frame 10 for axial and rotativemovement. The cross member 39 is also provided with a threaded openingadapted to receive a screw 45. A pin 46 extends through the cross member39 near each end thereof and is adapted to engage one of a plurality ofholes 47 formed in the top of the uprights 37.

A screw 50 is mounted in a predetermined position in the upright 20 sothat its point 51 extends into the V-shaped recess 23. The position ofthe screw 50 in the upright 20 is determined in the following manner. Astandard last is selected, for convenience, a standard size 7C. Thislast is then placed in the machine of Fig. 1 with the heel part in theV-shaped recess 16 with the extreme rear portion of the bottom of theheel part engaging the bottomsurface of the plate 1'7, and with the forepart in the V-shapedrecess 23 with the toe portion of the fore partresting upon the support 27, and the last is held in this position byinserting the wedge block 15 into clamping-engagement with the last. Apoint is then selected at the back of the heel of the last that liesabout 1%" from the bottom of the heel which in the norma1 standard size7--C last lies about midway between the top and bottom of the last. Asecond point is selected at the toe end of the last where the toesurfaces intersect. It has been found that a line drawn between thesepoints coincides with or closely approximates the position of the axisupon which the last was originally turned, and

this line will be referred to hereinafter as the right 3'7 so that theaxis of the prick punch 38 is in the horizontal plane of the axis of thescrew 50 and so that the extension of the axis of the prickpunch'intersects the extension of the axis of the drill 44. It will benoted that the positioning v of the last in the V-shaped recesses 16 and23 isfor' the purpose of alining the axis of the last with the axis ofthe screw 50 as viewed in plan. j

To calibrate the grading device the carriage 12 is moved to bring theball of the tread of the last directly beneath the drill 44. The screw45 is then brought into engagement with the tread of the last. The wedgeblock 15 is now inserted through the opening '14 in the upright 13 andforced into engagement with the heel part of the last so as to clamp thelast to the plate 17. With the cross member 39 in this position a bore47 is formed in the top of each of the uprights 37 to receive thepins'46 and lock the cross member in the position it must occupy toposition a standard '70 last with its axishorizontal.

The standard '70 last is then removed and the upright 20 moved relativeto the carriage so that a last of different size may be placed in thema- For example, a standard 11C last is placed in the machine as shownin Fig. 4 with the bottom of the heel engaging the plate 1'7 and withthe toe resting upon the support 27 and with the V-shaped recesses 16and 23 engaging the heel and toe respectively. With the parts in thisposition the point of intersection of the toe surfaces is below the axisof the screw 50 due partly to an increase in toe spring (toe springincreases for each size) and partly to the fact that the last nowengages the screw 45 at a point farther back on the tread. The carriage12 is then moved to bring the ball of the tread of the last below thedrill 44 as shown in Fig. 5 and this causes the cross member 39, whichis held from traveling with the carriage 12 by the drill 44, to rise dueto its mounting upon the inclined ways 42 on the uprights 37 of thecarriage. When the carriage is thus positioned the intersection of thetoe surfaces of the last will be positioned opposite the point 51 of thescrew 50. Another hole 4'7 is then made in the top of each upright 37which designates the position of the carriage for a size 11 last. Theremaining openings 4'7 are then formed in the top of the uprights 3'1 bypositioning other standard lasts of C width throughout the range of menssizes in the machine of Fig. 1 in the same manner as the standard 7C and11C were positioned as just described with the ball of the treaddirectly beneath the drill 44. As each of the standard lasts of thevarious sizes is so positioned in the machine an opening 4'7 is bored inthe top of each upright 3'7 to receive one of the pins 46. Thus when anysize last is placed in the machine and'the carriage adjusted to theposition corresponding to that size last, the axis of the last will beperpendicular to the drill 44 or a hole 52 formed thereby inthe tread ofthe last. The hole 52 assists in positioning the last properly in othermachines for performing the remaining steps in the operation of locatingthe axis upon which the last is to be reformed.

A machine for performing the second step of the operation for locatingthe axis upon which the last isto be reformed is illustrated in Fig. 6and comprises a frame 55 having an overhanging arm 56 provided with anopening to receive a bushing 5'7 in which a drill 58 is rotatable andaxially movable. The frame 55 is provided with a suitable way 59 inwhich wedge blocks 60 and 61, are slidably mounted. The wedge blocks 60and 61 are movable toward and away from the axis of the drill 58simultaneously equal amounts by a shaft 62 rotated by a handle 62 andhaving right and left hand threads 63 and 64 engaging the wedge blocks60 and 61 respectively. A pin 65 having a shoulder 53 is adjustablymounted in the wedge block 61'and is. adapted to fit in the tread end ofthe hole 52 in the last when the latter is positioned between theclamping blocks 60 and 61. A pin 65' is flxed in the wedge block 60 toenter the other end of the hole 52. The drill 58 is so positioned as toform a hole '66 in the side of the last intersecting the hole 52 in the,tread of the last. The hole 66 is adapted to receive a stop pin 67(Fig. 7)

The third step in the operation of locating the axis upon which the lastis to be reformed is performed in a machine of the type shown in Fig. 7.This machine comprises a frame 70 having a drill 71 mounted therein forrotative and axial movement. Drills '72 likewise are mounted in theframe '70 for rotative and axial movement and with their respective axesequidistant from an extension of the axis of the drill 71. One or morefixed shafts 73 extending upwardly from each end of the frame '70 haveslidably mounted thereon a support 74. Screws '75 in threaded engagementwith the support 74 are provided with worm gears 76 which are engaged byworms 68 carried by a shaft 69 mounted in bearings in the urgedresiliently towards the last positioning pin 77 by a spring 83 extendingbetween hooks carried by the block and the block 78. The relativepositions of the pin '77 to the recess 80' is the same as the relativepositions of the recess 16 to the drill 44 of the machine shown in Fig.1

as viewed in plan.

Having described the machines illustrated in Figs. 1, 6 and '7, the useof these machines in carrying out the method of the present inventionwill now be described.

For purpose of illustration it will be assumed that a batch of size 7-0lasts are to be reformed by'cutting down the toe portion of the lasts.In the first place the carriage 12 (Fig. 1) is moved until the pins 46can be inserted in the openings 47 corresponding to the size '7 last.One of the lasts is then taken and placed in the machine as shown inFig. 1 with the bottom of the heel in engagement with the plate 1'? andthe toe resting upon the support 27. The screw 45 is adjusted againstthe tread of the last until the intersection of the toe surfaces isbrought to a point opposite the point 51 of the screw 50. The adjustmentof the screw 45 is maintained by a check nut 9. The wedge block 15 isinserted in the opening 14 in the upright 13 so as to clamp the heeltightly against the plate 17. A hole 52 is then bored in the treadextending through the last or at least more than half way through thestock at this point. The punch 38 is then moved into engagement with theside of the last to make a prick mark 92 (Fig. 3). The setting of thegrading device as thus established is maintained and is such as toposition each of the lasts of the batch to be reformed so that therelation of the axis upon which the last is to be reformed to the hole52 will be the same in all the lasts of the batch. I

The last is then removed from the machine and placed in the machineshown in Fig. 6 with the hole 52 engaging'the pins 65 and 65'. The pin65 is adjusted and the screw shaft 62 actuated to cause the clampingblocks 60 and 61 to hold the last with the prick mark 92 beneath theaxis of the drill 58. A bore 66 is then formed in the side of the lastto intersect the hole 52. The last is then removed from the machine andthe stop pin 6'? inserted in the hole 66 so as to intersect the hole 52as shown in Fig. 7. The last is now placed in the machine shown in Fig.7 with the hole 52 engaging the positioning pin 77 and with the heel ofthe last in the V-shaped recess 80 in the block 80. The support '14 israised by actuating the shaft 69 until the intersection of the toesurfaces of the last is opposite the point of the drill 71. Bores f andb are now formed in the fore part and heel part of the lastrespectively.The setting of the support '74 as thus established is maintained and issuch as to position each of the lasts of the batch to be reformed sothat the relation of the free end of the positioning pin '7'! to theaxis of the bores f and b or to the axis upon which the last is to bereformed will be the same in all the lasts of the batch.

The last is now removed from the machine shown in Fig. 7 and is given tothe last maker who remodels the last to conform to the newspecifications by cutting away the toe end portion of the last. The lastis now used as a model or pattern and is inserted in the last turninglathe, the bores J and b, respectively; providing The other lasts arenow taken from the lot oflasts to be reformed and are placedsuccessively in the machines shown in Figs. 1, 6 and '7 in which theholes 52, 66 and the bores and b are formed as above described forestablishing the axis of each last and which axis will be the same asthe axis of the. model last. The lasts are then successively placed inthe last turning lathe and the toe end portion thereof turned down toconform with the model last. During. this operation the last will turnon the axis established by said bores and the bores provide means forsuch turning'in the lathe the same as with the model last.

What-I-claim is:

, 1. As a preliminary operation for preparing lasts to be reformed, themethod of locating the longitudinal axis upon which the lasts are to bereformed which comprises, similarly positioning each of the lasts andforming a plurality of bores in the heel thereof so that a point equidistant from the axes of said bores coincides with the axis upon whichthe last is to be reformed and which axis bears a predetermined relationto a last positioning element, locating a point within the last havingthe same predetermined relation to said axis as does said lastpositioning element, supporting the last on the axis as defined by thepoint which is equidistant from the axes of said bores and the pointwithin the last by engaging the bores'in the heel thereof and with saidelement engaging said point within the last and while the last is thuspositioned forming a boring in the toe thereof.

2. As a preliminary operation for preparing lasts to be reformed, themethod of locating the longitudinal axis upon which the lasts .are to bereformed which comprises, similarly positioning each of the lasts andforming a plurality of bores in the heel thereof so that a pointequidistant from the axes of said bores coincides with the axis uponwhich the last is to be reformed and which axis bears a predeterminedrelation to a last positioning element, locating by intersection boringsa point within the last having the same predetermined relation to saidaxis as the last positioning element, supporting the last on the axis asdefined by the point which is equidistant from the axes of said boresand the distant from the axes of said bores coincides with the axis uponwhich the last is to be reformed and which axis bears a predeterminedrelation to a last positioning element, locating by intersecting boringsa point within the last having the same predeterminedlrelation to saidaxis as the last positioning element, placing a stop pin in the last atsaid point, supporting the last on the axis as defined by the pointwhich is equidistant from thex axes of said bores and the point withinthe last by engaging the bores in the heel thereof and with said elementengaging said stop pinand while the last is thus positioned forming aboring inthe toe thereof.

4. As a preliminary operation for preparing lasts to be reformed, themethod of locating the longitudinal axis upon which the lasts are to bereformed which comprises, similarly positioning each of the lasts andforming a plurality of bores in the heel thereof so that a pointequidistant from the axes of said bores coincides with an axis extendinglongitudinally of the last and through the intersection of its toesurfaces and which axis bears a predetermined relation to r a lastpositioning element; locating a point within the last accessible throughthe tread'thereof having the same predetermined relation to said axis asdoes said last positioning element, supvthe bores in the heel thereofand with said element engaging said point within the last and while thelast is thus positioned forming a boring in the toe thereof.'

5. As a preliminary operation for preparing lasts to'be reformed, themethod of locating the longitudinal axis upon which the lasts are to bereformed which comprises, supporting each of the lasts in a determinateposition and while thus supported forming one set of borings thereinextendinglongitudinally in the heel part and another set of transverselyintersecting borings in the toe part to define like :axes for all thelasts, supporting in a determinate axial position each of the lasts tobe reformed by positioning elements engaging the borings in said heeland toe part, and while thus supported forming a positioning center inthe forward end of the last so that it lies in definite predeterminedrelation to said axis.

' JEREMIAH FITZPATRICK.

